Samsung M7 – Performance

First impressions of the M7’s performance are positive – the sound is clear and enjoyable, with a pleasing balance across the frequency range. The soaring, soulful vocals and jazzy piano solos of Frank McComb’s Remembering Donny Hathaway album sound smooth and natural.

The M7’s greatest asset is its bass performance, which creates a weighty, fulsome sound. Low frequencies are well integrated and lend satisfying depth to the music.

This is perfect if you’re into rhythm-orientated tracks like hip-hop and house. The inherent power and punch will get you moving, although fans of a leaner, more measured sound might find it a little too rich – tweaking the bass EQ helps in that respect.

There’s plenty of volume here too. The M7 fills a room easily – you don’t need to turn it up far to get a big punchy sound, and there’s no distortion when pushed. It’s this ability to stay in control at high volumes that sets the M7 apart from most similarly-sized docking systems.

The M7 also does a decent job with high frequencies. Obvious top-end sounds like hi-hats, strings and percussion are clear and crisp, lending a general sense of openness to the sound. Mellower tracks are handled with pleasing fluidity and smoothness. There’s a wide stereo soundstage, with precisely-placed instruments and smooth panning between the channels.

That’s enhanced further when you use two vertical M7s in a stereo configuration – the sound is bigger and bolder, offering the sort of largescale performance you might expect from a pair of floorstanders. Sure, buying two speakers is pricey, but the added authority, size and bass depth is worth the expense.

On the downside the M7 doesn’t tease out the subtler nuances of the music as clearly as the best audio systems – tiny textures like breaths, background voices and the twang of guitar strings are often lost in the big bass-driven sound. Crowd applause during live albums also lacks the sparkling clarity of the best speakers.

A little more finesse would have been nice for the money then, but those who prize punch and power should find that the M7 hits the spot.

Should I buy the Samsung M7?

The Samsung M7 (WAM750) is an impressive multiroom system and a worthy challenger to more established multiroom speakers like the Sonos Play:3. It’s easy to set up and works smoothly with the intuitive Multiroom App. 

One M7 delivers a powerful, balanced sound with excellent composure at high volumes, but pairing two in a stereo setup delivers an even more authoritative performance with the sort of room-filling bass and scale you might expect from larger speakers.

Samsung also steals a march on Sonos with some nifty new touches, including Bluetooth with NFC and direct connection to a router via Wi-Fi. Samsung lags behind on streaming services but matches Sonos in every other respect. We’re also taken by the M7’s distinctive triangular design and solid build quality.

On the downside it doesn’t dig out enough subtle detail to make it a truly audiophile proposition, erring more towards warmth and bass punch. It’s also fairly expensive, particularly if you want to put speakers in several rooms. But for its first step into the world of multiroom audio, we think Samsung has done a terrific job with the M7. 

Verdict

A slick, stylish and great-sounding multiroom speaker that’ll have Sonos looking over its shoulder.

Trusted Score